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Despite the flood of 4K TVs that are emerging this year, there won't be a lot of content to play on them in the near future short of space galleries and the World Cup. The team at DirecTV can't provide an immediate solution, but it's at least getting ahead of the curve with a spate of new trademarks. The satellite giant now owns trademarks for the terms 4K, 4KN, 4KNET, 4K Network and 4KNetwork, the lot of which would cover broadcasts, streaming and VOD -- all hinting that the company is at least toying with the prospect of a 4K-only channel or service. Don't get your hopes up, however. DirecTV has declined comment, and there's a big difference between securing a trademark and having the resources to do something with it. We'll have to wait for sufficient capacity on TV networks -- and in our wallets -- before 4K TV channels exist as more than names.

[Image credit: Brian Cantoni, Flickr]

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"We've partnered with some of the biggest and most influential social networks in the world, including Facebook and Ustream, to bring gamers' friends into games like never before," former Gaikai CEO David Perry told attendees of Sony's PlayStation 4 event last week. It was the only mention Ustream got during the show, despite the video streaming service playing a critical role in Sony's next video game console. In-tandem with the PlayStation 4's new DualShock 4 controller and its "Share" button, users will be able to quickly upload saved gameplay video clips or directly stream their game out to the internet. The console's lead system architect, Mark Cerny, expanded on the importance of the Share button and its implications to the PlayStation 4 during last week's presentation. "Social play is so important to PlayStation 4 that we've added in hardware to support it, in the form of dedicated, always-on video compression and decompression systems," he said.

We saw a bit of the game sharing / streaming interface during Sony's presentation, but were left wondering about specifics: how will discovery work? and what of other, non-gaming Ustream content? Thankfully, Ustream CEO Brad Hunstable was able to offer up most of our answers in a recent interview. "Our goal is to allow discovery in a very clean user experience, both in discovery on the console itself and on various platforms that the content'll be available on (like Ustream, Twitter, and Facebook)," Hunstable said. He wouldn't speak to the specifics of how that discovery will work, nor would he say if you'll be able to sign-in simply using your PlayStation Network ID or if you'll have to sign up for a separate Ustream account, but he stressed that the decisions being made are, "based on what's easiest and best for the gamer." That same rubric is (thankfully) being applied to functionality. "The goal is to make sure it's very easy -- one click of a button, super simple -- and most importantly make sure it looks really, really good. And is viewable wherever people want to watch it from," Hunstable said.

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Ustream viewers were really engaged by Sony's big PlayStation 4 hullaballoo last week -- around eight million folks tuned in to the live broadcast on Ustream, with a whopping 1 million concurrents at peak viewing. On average, said viewer watched the two hour and five minute press conference for one full hour. To put that in perspective, the average Ustream viewer in general watches a given broadcast for 20 minutes, effectively meaning the average PlayStation 4 event viewer tripled the norm.

Ustream CEO Brad Hunstable told Engadget that the numbers are emblematic of his company's worldwide infrastructure strength, and a good example of why Sony chose Ustream for sharing game footage and streaming on its next console, the PlayStation 4. "Game consoles are global in nature," Hunstable pointed out. "We need to be able to serve both, from broadcasting out of the console and to the viewers, on a global basis. To be able to do that, you need an infrastructure footprint that's on a massive scale. We're the only ones that have that."

The video streaming company boasts offices around the globe -- "two in the US, one in Europe, and two in Asia; 180 employees strong," Hunstable told us -- and it already has partnerships with a variety of media and electronics companies, from Viacom to Panasonic. Despite the PlayStation 4 partnership, Hunstable said Ustream's game console plans extend beyond a single next-gen box. "We're absolutely free to work with all partners. Our vision is to have Usteam be ubiquitous. We wanna power the world's live broadcasting. If that happens to be on a gaming console, which increasingly it is, we wanna have a place there." Of course, we've yet to hear Microsoft' next-gen plans, but it sounds like nothing's off the table for Ustream just yet. "There'll be a lot more coming for certain, not just about this announcement but all of the things that we have in store for gamers around the world," Hunstable teased.

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If Amazon's recent foray into British period drama leaves you cold, its Prime Instant Video service now has something grittier on tap: The FX Network's Justified. Thanks to a new deal with Sony Pictures Television, you can download the western-style crime series for no additional cost if you're a subscriber on the $79 yearly service. It was up for grabs at $1.99 a pop on Instant Video before, where Amazon said it was one of its most popular buys, and now Prime subscribers can grab episodes from seasons one through three. Season four will arrive after its current run on FX concludes, though individual episodes of the latter are available on Instant right after they air, if you're willing to pay $1.99. Amazon also added all seven seasons of Sony's The Shield to Prime Instant, so if you're looking to go on a crime spree, check the PR after the break.

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Now that Sony has revealed the PlayStation 4 exists (but not much else -- yet) how do we feel about the future of the living room? We'll dig into that, plus some some new home theater related news from Samsung at Mobile World Congress, the return of webOS on TVs and FIFA's acceptance of modern technology and much more, so go ahead and press play.

Hosts: Ben Drawbaugh (@bjdraw), Richard Lawler (@rjcc)

Producer: James Trew (@itstrew)

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Fan of channels such as CMT, VH1 Classic and Teen Nick? Cablevision is assuming that's a negatory. Today, the cable provider filed a federal antitrust suit against Viacom over the content distributor's programming bundling practices, which are alleged as anti-competitive. The lawsuit revolves around Viacom's insistence that ancillary networks be included in programming agreements in order to gain distribution rights to more popular networks such as Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central. While the complaint itself remains under seal, Cablevision is arguing abuse of power in the lawsuit, which if successful, could have rippling effects throughout the pay-TV industry.

Cablevision is seeking declaratory relief that would void the two companies' programming contract (inked just this past December), along with a permanent injunction against Viacom's practice and the ability to carry Viacom programming until a new contract can be negotiated. Meanwhile, Viacom has asserted that it'll vigorously defend the lawsuit, and maintains that its practice is "win-win and pro-consumer" in the sense that its niche networks are offered at discounts. It seems that we can look forward to both companies butting heads for a while to come.

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BT's got far more important things to do than fill in the gaps in its fiber broadband coverage, like blowing around £10 million ($15 million) on buying ESPN's UK and Ireland channels from Disney. BT is trying to compete with Sky on sporting rights, and needs a channel to broadcast 38 Premier League games a year for the next three years -- which cost the phone company £738 million ($1.1 billion). At the same time, ESPN is shuttering ESPN Classic, the satellite channel dedicated to showing classic sporting events free of charge. Broadly speaking, BT just knows how to brighten our Mondays.

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Samsung's really playing up its media chops here at Mobile World Congress. In addition to demoing the new HomeSync Android box, the Korean company is showing off its recently announced service for finding and watching TV content. The product was originally called TV Discovery, but just five days later it's resurfaced under the moniker Video Discovery. This new name is more accurate, as the service does deliver content recommendations for both live programming and movies and TV shows on demand.

We saw Video Discovery demoed with a Galaxy Note 8.0 and a Samsung Smart TV. You'll need a device with an IR blaster to adjust the TV channel or volume, with the app serving as a touchscreen remote. There are several modes for browsing content, including a timeline view that looks almost identical to the standard TV guide menu. You can also browse by genre or view current programming across all channels. When we skimmed through live TV listings, we simply had to tap the large "Watch Now" button next to a listing for the show to turn up on screen a few seconds later.

Perhaps the most useful feature, at least for those of you who know what you want: type in a search, and you'll see results from several content providers, including Blockbuster and Netflix (in the US) in addition to cable channels. Samsung reps said Discovery will also deliver personalized recommendations based on viewing preference and history, but the trade show employees on hand didn't seem entirely confident on some of the features, so we'll have to play with the service a bit more after it launches in April to confirm final functionality. But why not take a look for yourself now? Hit up the hands-on video after the break.

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Yesterday, Samsung announced the HomeSync Android TV box, and as expected that device is making an appearance here on the MWC 2013 show floor. Boxy media hubs can only be so attractive, but the HomeSync's grey-and-black aesthetic is sleek, and the brushed-metal finish will look familiar to anyone who's used a Sammy handset or laptop. There's a pair of USB 3.0 inputs, an HDMI port, optical audio and Ethernet connections on the rear, and buttons for power and settings on the front, but you can easily hide the console deep inside your home theater rig -- it can be controlled exclusively with a Android 4.2-equipped smartphone or tablet.

The Jelly Bean-powered HomeSync runs a 1.7GHz dual-core processor with 1TB of storage, and it supports up to eight accounts for uploading, downloading and sharing content between devices. Those with a Galaxy device will be able to wirelessly stream content to their TVs in full 1080p, and Play Store access is on board for downloading additional media. It worked well during our hands-on, but as with any WiFi-equipped streaming device, there was noticeable lag when mirroring the smartphone display on the connected HDTV. Still, assuming the price is right, we can see this being a solid component within any home theater setup. Take a closer look in our hands-on video after the break.

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Here's a wild one -- webOS has been revived, and the suitor may surprise you. LG has reportedly lifted the troubled webOS unit from HP's hands, but instead of using it in future smartphones or tablets, it's planning to inject the operating system across its smart TV portfolio -- finally adding a layer of truth to a rumor we first spotted in October of last year. The deal includes the source code for webOS, "related documentation, engineering talent, and related webOS websites." Moreover, LG's procuring HP licenses for use with its webOS wares, not to mention patents that HP had originally gained from Palm. Not surprisingly, dollars and cents aren't being publicly discussed, but we'll be sure to clue you in on any more specifics as we get them.

Update: The official PR has appeared, and can be found after the break. It doesn't shower us with additional info, but fans of Open webOS and Enyo should know that LG is assuming "stewardship" of these projects as part of the HP deal.

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LG is all about product synergy at MWC 2013, demoing the ability to beam 4K resolution video from a phone to an Ultra HD television -- no wires necessary. There's no specifics mentioned about the technology in use other than that it uses "ubiquitous" WiFi connections, but LG claims its technique uses less than half the power others require. That's achieved by reducing the drain on the phone's CPU and other hardware, but we'll have to wait for a hands-on opportunity to learn more about how this works -- and to save up enough money to buy one of those Ultra HDTVs.

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